Yea, What if someone was to import a GC8 from wherever. (japan/hong kong) And shipped it over in one piece intact. How hard would it be to convert it to a left hand drive given there is already an RS @ your expense?

OK OK, let's forget about the legality issues and problems with customs and whatever. Just the level of difficutly. Obviously, I have no idea in this and was wondering with the expertise here. Ryan, Keirrna? Anyone?

 

too hard. might as well just buy a good motor and transplant into a us GC8.

 

You don't have to convert it to LHD. You can leave it RHD, but there is about 30k worth of expenses you will have to suffer. You also have to front 1/3 (if I remember right) of the "market" value of the car. It is possible. I was getting everything in line to ship a GTR back, but I decided not to spend the money and abandon my dreams. You will have to meet emmissions wherever you bring the car into port at. I was told it is easiest to get a car from Australia, since they speak english. In short, there is no point in making it LHD, because you would still need to have all of the same saftey items as if the car is RHD. It would be far easier to import a forgein Impreza here than a GTR, because we do have Impreza's here. You basically just have to meet the same requirements that our impreza's have.

If you want a JDM impreza the easiest thing to do is to get a front clip w/ rear diff, and convert a GC/GM body style car to the JDM version. That is what I plan to do. I have contacts in Japan that can find you a car if you have the cash to ship a running one over here. Oh and if it is just a track car, there is much less paperwork. Hope that helps.

 

If it's intend for track use only, you wouldn't have to convert a thing.

 

Right, but you still have to have all of your paperwork inline for importing the vehicle.

 

Just swap in a low mileage WRX engine in the car...

 

I saw in an article how a guy fanagled a JDM Acura RSX over...he separated the engine...shipped the car over and shipped the engine over separately...

 

That's a lot of time to waste for a piece of crap RSX.

 

Now what about shipping a whole car over for parts? what are regulations for that? I've heard rumors about chopping roofs off or in half. I might be able to get a really good deal on shipping so yea.. How much car parts do you think we can cram in a container? How much money you think one can make off it? And of course, there will be a need of a lot of dough to buy the parts in the first place. Blah Blah....

So what about shipping in a car for parts? Gets rid of a lot of paper work wouldn't it?

Keirnna: thanks for you input, your knowledge is sooo appreciated. think you'll be around when you do your swap? i want to spectate and/or take part if you trust my help. maybe i can pass tools or something

 

If I was going to do my swap here in Hawaii it would be great to have you, but my RS is in Indiana. You're still welcome to come . In general cars are very cheap in Japan. You could pick up a V4 STi (1998) for less or about the same as a 1998 RS costs here. If the car is just for parts I believe they do chop your car in half. There is a large profit to be made if you have the initial amount of cash to bring the cars in. I doubt any of us have that kind of cash. I researched a lot and I have just decided to go with a vendor. They have guaruntee's, and the cost for 1 car balances out. Watch this site as sometimes I have seen EVO's and STi's for sale. http://japanupdate.com/classifieds/english/

If your paperwork is not inline I believe you have about 30 days to get everything straight, and if you don't get the paperwork in on time they just crush your newly imported car. You have to get everything lined up right to get it cut in half. If this was a simple process we'd all be driving JDM Impreza's. I think something like 75% of cars get crushed, and there are no refunds if that happens. That is one of the major reasons I decided to wait. If one thing is wrong with your paperwork and you don't read and write Japanese you can kiss your money and your car goodbye.

 

So wait, they chop the car here, or before it leaves the departure port? Also paperwork should just be like the shipper's or carrier's original bill of lading, the bill of sale, foreign registration, and any other documents covering the vehicle right? (I just did some quick research.)

 

i would keep it RHD....but that's just me...i would like to hang out the right side of my car...waving at the people on the sidewalk...talking to other drivers who are on my right side...hahahaha....


...but that's just me....

 

They chop the car at the incomming port in california. The car leaves Japan in 1 piece.

 

This is no way the car can come straight to hawaii huh? Kinda sad to buy an sti to CHOP CHOP.

 

Yeah the closest car brokers are in Cali.